Television actress Shagun Sharma has worked in several shows including Tu Aashiqui, Titli and Sasural Genda Phool 2 and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3. The actress talked to News18 about her role in the new show Harphoul Mohini, defining it as a ‘package of drama, cultural differences, family values and social issues.’
The actress shared, “I’m playing the character of Mohini Vijayan, who comes from Allepy, Kerala. She lives with her mom, dad and younger sister. She is the elder sibling in the house and is the most sincere one because she has to take care of many things. She is very responsible and well-read, so she knows the difference between right and wrong. She has family values, and she plays a big part in her house. She later chooses Harphoul (Zebbi Singh) as her husband.”
‘Harphoul Mohini’ is a love story of two individuals who are poles apart and even belong to different regions, Haryana’s Harphoul Chaudhari and Kerala’s Mohini Vijayan. We asked Shagun what made her choose the show, and she responded, “The fact that it was giving me as an actor, a chance to perform, to do something that I’ve never done before because I’ve played a rich girl, I’ve played a cute bubbly girl, I’ve played a thief also now. I’ve played a bechari bahu (helpless daughter-in-law) also. This was something that I had not done.”
On being asked about the one reason for which the viewers should watch the show, she said the show is a package of “drama, cultural differences, family values and social issues,” which makes it special.
Talking about the factors that will make the audience glued to the show, she shared, “The fact that we are showing two cultures so beautifully. You will get to see how a middle-class family in Kerala, how things take a different turn, a father loses his job, and how people have to take a stand for their family because many people go through the same situation.”
In the trailer of the show, we see Mohini’s father getting worried as he loses his job because of COVID-19. Shagun added that the show is close to reality. “Sso many of my friends have lost their jobs during COVID-19 period because the companies had to let go of people. So, people will relate to it a bit. And then they will relate to the Haryana (Harphoul’s) family also, as they have their different way and culture. So, there are so many things happening, so many emotions.”
The actress went on to add that the show has a relatability factor which will drive the audience to tune into the show. “The family drama has so many different characters that, if not me, then people will relate to Harphoul, if not him, then his mother, and if not them, then we have small kids on our show. Having different characters in a show adds up to the relatable factor for the show,” says Shagun.
Most of the shows on television currently are female-oriented. “I think it is the demand of the story, and it isn’t essential that a TV show should be female-centric. Lately, Zebby’s old show was named Papa By Chance, and the show was all about him. There are all kinds of shows,” she says.
On being asked if television will be affected by the increase of OTT content, she said, “I highly doubt that because OTT has a different audience, mainly the youngsters. But my parents who live in Himachal Pradesh don’t consume OTT shows, unless it is something that my sister has done. They watch that and then they unsubscribe. For them, to pay for the subscription is not difficult, but for that drama to subscribe to a platform is what bothers them. They are getting everything they want to watch on TV.”
“If you talk about people in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal – the areas that I know – are not very comfortable with what OTT has to offer. So they will never leave TV shows. There is a reason why TV is the most widely used media. People watch more TV, and we have the largest TV audience. So, different platforms on OTT have been introduced for people who probably never watched TV. That is not going to affect how TV is working right now or will work in the coming days.”
